Air Breaks: When & How Long do You do Them?

[Rick Inman]

What's your SOP on air breaks? 12/6? 25/5? Never? What is the amount of time on O2 you'll do without an air break?

 

[ppo2_diver]

If I have to do more than one air break, it's 12/6. If I'm only on O2 for 15 minutes, I may push it and not do a break if I'm warm. Some times when I've been cold, I'll do 10/5.

 

[rjack321]

10/5 but if its 20mins or less on 02 I skip them. So I've done like 1 or 2 O2 breaks in my career.

 

[mr.rongilbert]

25/5 if on a long deco using anything hotter than 80% for sure if on pure O2. We used the 25/5 while working the chamber back in the day. I am interested in what others do - should be some good discussion. Thanks for the post.

 

[Dive-aholic]

20/5. However, if my 100% deco is going to be 21-22 minutes, I'll skip the break and finish out the deco. By this time, the extra minutes are just padding that I add to my required deco anyway.

 

[Meng_Tze]

20/5. However, if my 100% deco is going to be 21-22 minutes, I'll skip the break and finish out the deco. By this time, the extra minutes are just padding that I add to my required deco anyway.

What he said. But when the O2 time gets longer (30 - 40+ min), I turn it down to 15/5 or there about

 

[do it easy]

I tend to do them more often for shorter- 10/3, give or take. Even with 15 mins of O2 time, I might split it in half. The reason I do this is that after about 12 minutes or so, I notice my breathing is harder and just doesn't feel right.

 

[Rick Inman]

I tend to do them more often for shorter- 10/3, give or take...

I read somewhere that 3 mins is not enough time for the lungs to recover - that if you need at least 5 mins. Don't remember where I read it or if it's true.

 

[ianr33]

Presumably y'all are only doing air breaks if doing deco at 1.6?

Using 80% the PO2 on the second stop at 20 feet is only 1.3,would you do air breaks here?

(Just asking,please dont get into the 80% thing )

 

[jimdiverman]

Do you switch your computer when you switch back to your travel or back gas? Otherwise your computer would be thinking that you are still on O2 and give you undeserved credit, correct?

My longest deco ever was about 25 minutes including the safety stop, so this is an interesting discussion. I have never switched back to another mix after I switched to O2.

Dive Safe!